that poor handful to defend the gospel, and to keep up a witnefs and teftimony against the abounding corrup tions that this land is filled with from end to end, and to plead with the Lord that he would not make a total removal therefrom. Yea, I heard Mr Richard Cameron fay, "My friends, we are not to compare ourfelves with Gideon's three hundred men, no not at all; our defign is to have you examined, how ye are, and what ye are; to choose two or three of the foot, and two or three of the horfe, that are found fittest qualified for elders, to try your principles, to try your life and converfation, and to have you being chriftians. Our number was more the last day, and we gave them free leave to go home, and only but a few handful to ftay; for we defign not to fall upon any party of the forces, except they be few in number, and oppofe us in keeping up the gofpel in the fields, for I am perfuaded that one meeting in the fields has been more owned and countenanced by his prefence with his people, than twenty house meetings as they are now bought; and therefore make no ftrife among yourselves about officers, because they are but men; yea, I think, there is not a man among you all meet for it; we are not meet to be a minifter to you,. only we are to wait till the Lord provide better; and ye that are not fatisfied to stay in defence of the gospel,. good-morrow to you, whatfoever ye be." And fo £ thought it was rational and warrantable both from the word of God, and our folemn vows and covenants, which you and the whole land are engaged unto. Now ye fee what was my motive to join with that handful, and in this I have peace, and on this ground I lay down my life. There is a fecond motive I had, for which I thought myself bound to own that perfecuted caufe and intereft of my blessed Lord and Master, Jefus Chrift: I being about two years ago in Carrick, and hearing the precious gofpel of Jefus Chrift, in thefe glorious days,. the fhining of the countenance of our Lord was difcernibly feen there, both upon his minifters and people; I, thought it my duty to mark it. The Lord did fo foften and animate my heart at that time, that I made it my work how I might win to clearness how to ftate myself, being among the deceitful indulged minifters, and finding feveral places of fcripture calling me out from them, as that known fcripture, If the Lord be God, follow

him; but if Baal, then follow him. Come out from among them, my people, and touch not the unclean thing, &c. Touch not, tafte not, handle not, which are all to perith with the ufing. I thought it was dreadful to be halting between two opinions. On the other hand, I had fome fcriptures concerning the crofs that attends pure religion and undefiled. The Lord who has calied me here to-day, to feal thefe truths, wrought with an irresistible power on my heart, that good word of his, in the xviii pfalm, 46, 47, 48 verfes, The Lord liveth, and bleffed be my rock, &c. This makes me rejoice. The Lord of hofts is on my fide, the God of Jacob is my defence, &c. O fo ftrongly as this binds and obliges me to fuffer, and count all joy now to go up this ladder ! And I had occafion to be at feveral other meetings, I blefs the Lord for it: I blefs the Lord that ever he made choice of me, who was a miferable finner, to lay down my life for his caufe: and fo I die not by constraint or force, but willingly at his command.

There is another claufe in my indictment, and fentence of death, they say, that I walked up and down the country, murdering, deftroying, and oppreffing the fubjects. But, I fay I did never mind the like. And fo they have, (as they have done to many a one,) affized and sentenc ed me wrongoufly; for I did never mind to murder or rob any man: therefore I am clear to charge them guilty of my blood, and to give my teftimony against them, as murderers of the fervants and people of God, in their being about the fervice and worfhip of God, as I was,

In the next place, I believe that all the Scriptures of the old and new Teftament are the word of the eternal and ever-living God, given by divine infpiration; and that every duty commanded therein ought to be obeyed and performed upon the greatest peril and hazard, and that every crooked and falfe way fhould be avoided and guarded against, whatever be the feeming advantages which may accompany the embracing of it, under the pain of being led forth with the workers of iniquity, when he fhall pronounce peace on his Ifrael. 2dly, I give my witnefs and join my adherence to the Confeffion of Faith, the larger and thorter catechifms, national and folemn league and covenant, with our folemn acknow. ledgment of fins and engagement to duties. 3dly, I here to the church government by general affemblies,

ad.

fynods,

fynods, prefbyteries, and kirk feffions, according as it was established in the year 1648. 4thly, I give my teftimony to that faithful declaration at Rutherglen, the 29th of May 1679. 5thly, I adhere, and give my tef timony to the declaration at Sanquhar, June 22. 1680, together with the paper gotten at the Ferry upon Henry Hall, June 3. 1680. 6thly, I give my teftimony and fet to my feal to all the former teftimonies fealed by the blood of them who have been murdered on fcaffolds, in the fields, and in the fea, from the year 1660, to this day; and by all the imprisonments, and banifhment of exiled and wandering ones, and by all the fpoilings and robbings, oppreffion, ftigmatizing, fcourging, and booting, and other horrid cruelties, which have been committed by the enemies of our Lord Jefus Christ.

On the other hand, ift, I enter my proteftation before the Judge of all, both living and the dead, before whom I am to appear within a little time, against all the encroachments made upon the prerogatives of our Lord Jefus Chrift, particularly against Popery, Quakerism, and Prelacy, and all their underlings and the joiners with them; and against all fupremacy that is contrary to the word of God; and against all Eraftianism; and against both the indulgences first and last, and all the joiners with, connivers at, and fupporters of it; and against the filence in watchmen at this day, is not giving faithful warning, according to that in Ifa. lviii. 1. Cry aloud, and spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, fhew Ifrael their fins, and the house of Jacob their tranfgreffions. And against her ambiguous and dark applications, fo that the fin of the times is not touched, left they irritate the magistrates, and bring themselves in hazard of our Lord's crofs; which was an evil creeping in long ago, which the affembly condemned in the ministers s; and ordered them to be fufpended, if they did not amend; and feeing no humiliation for such a great fin, they were to be depofed. 2dly, I enter my proteftation against all those who have declared themfelves oppofite to our Lord Jefus Chrift, and have difplayed a banner for Satan; not only tolerating, but actng and committing all manner of abominations, and horrid cruelties in things civil and ecclefiaftical. 3dly, I enter my protestation against all declarations, proclamations, bonds, cefs and militia-money, for keeping

standing

ftanding forces with a difplayed banner against our Lord; and against all profanity, loofenefs and lukewarmnefs, and all the backflidings of the church of Scotland, fince our entering into covenant with God to this day.

Now Sirs, I have given you but a fhort hint of my faith and principles; and alfo the motives which moved me to join with the ferious feekers of God; and also the grounds of my indictment, and fentence of death: alfo fome little glance at the corruptions of the times. I have here joined my teftimony to the fufferings of the people of God, and I have entered my proteftation against fome open fins, which are obvious to all who have not willingly yielded themselves to work wickedness. O it is but litle that I can fay! it would take a long fummer day to rank them up, and not win them at all: For my part, I am but ignorant, my capacity can but reach little thing. It may be, ye will take but little notice of what the like of me fays, but I cannot help it. Now, as a dying man, I leave all these things to your confideration, if this prelatic and indulged party be the party to be meddled with and owned, pleaded for and defended; what think ye of them that hath gone before us; What think ye of Argyle and Mr Guthrie that were men of understanding? What think ye of Mr Kid and Mr King, and that gentleman that fuffered laft at the cross? Nay, what think ye of religion and the cost of it? What think ye of heaven and glory that is at the back of the cross? The hope of this makes me look upon pale death as a lovely meffenger to me. I blefs the Lord for my lot this day.

I fhall come fhortly to a close, only I beg leave to speak a word to two or three forts of folks; and I think, all may be comprehended under these three. I intreat you take heed; I wifh I may not be a ftumbing block to any, that is looking on me this day. Bleffed is he, fays Chrift, that fhall not be offended in me, and my follow. ers. The first fort is the feekers of God; I have a word to you: Ye have kirk and state upon your top; ye get leave to weep a long night, and have none to comfort you and if you cry, watchman, what of the night? the watchmen are drunk and fallen afleep, they cannot tell. Can thefe dry bones? Lord thou knoweft. Ye are seeing the godly cut off, one way and another; ye are

hearing

hearing them that have the root of the matter in them crying up a finful union; and minifters will not tell you what is your duty or danger. O my dear friends, caft not away your confidence; ye muft come through many tribulations; but there is a begun heaven for you at night. Seek ye the Lord, ye meek of the ear h; ye fhall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. There is no perfecution in heaven, where our Lord's enemies fhall never come: I fhall not take upon me to fay, who of them will not come to heaven; but this I may fay, if they come it will be more, than ordinary humiliation they must have: As it is faid of Manaffeh; That he humbled himself greatly before the Lord God his of fa· ́ thers. Friends, give our Lord credit; he is always -good; but O he is good in a day of trial, and he will be iweet company through the ages of eternity. There is none like the God of Jefhurun, that rides upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. And undernea h are the everlafting arms, and he will fave his people. And 2dly, I have a word to fay to you that are godly; but alas, you have wronged the cause; for which, I fear, ye have loft the countenance of God, and will not get it again in hafte; ye have waxed fat and kicked; ye have flung at God; ye have been crying peace and union with the indulged, because they are godly men. 1 fay before the Lord, that ye, and these godly men, have most basely betrayed the kirk of Scotland; ye fhall go to heaven in a fiery chariot, ye fhall. hardly get leave to fuffer but go away in a ftink, for your complying and fhunning the crofs. 3dly, A word to the ungodly. O ye atheifts and ungodly magistrates, full of perjury and bloodfhed, ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of flaughter. The blood of the Lord's martyrs, that has been fhed thefe eighteen or nineteen year within this city, will be charged home upon you, as well as upon the affizers. Ye counfellors, your work will be rewarded. Ye criminal Lords, remember, the faints thall judge the earth, and fhall thortly be in equal terms with you; and they fhall ftand upon mount Zion with the Lamb, and give their confents against you ; and fhali thortly cry Hallelujah, hallelujah, to your condemnation. And therefore I obteft you, in the bowels of our Lord Jefus Christ, that ye will defift from your wicked courses, and ly in the dust, and mourn for all your abominations;